We’ve got the start of a new story this week, along with the debut of a NEW CHARACTER!

It’s our pleasure to introduce to you Abigail “Abbie” Schaefer, Shinny’s best pal and starting goalie for the Hoodlums hockey team. We visit Shinny and Abbie in the Hoodlum’s locker room after practice, where they find themselves talking about a subject that Caps fans know all too well…Abbie’s story continues next week.

This week, we start a new story about a beloved postseason hockey tradition.(They’re referring to the 2013-14 playoffs, not the current season. The Caps are totally making the playoffs this season.)

When it comes to playoff beards, rules are rules. No exceptions, even for a newbie like Chad (especially when his girlfriend is the superstitious type). Even her dad, who sports a beard year-round, must start fresh.

The NHL season isn’t even halfway over at the time of this posting, but it’s never a bad time to talk about the things that make hockey what it is, even if you’re not even thinking about the playoffs yet.

And now: the conclusion.Chad screwed up big time, and he knew it. So to make it up to Shinny, he brought her to a place that he thought they both would enjoy.

This story hits me personally in a way, too. It’s hard to believe, but my boyfriend is not a hockey fan (or a sports fan) AT ALL. His hockey knowledge is limited to: knowing who Ovi is, HUMAAAAANGOUS BIG, and “Don Cherry is the weird old guy with the suits.” I’ve tried taking him to games, and I even bought him the NHL video game to teach him the rules (It didn’t work. He just kept icing the puck and then got Mike Green to fight). After years of trying, I’ve just accepted it. But there’s so many other things we have in common and are passionate about (comics, movies, TV shows), and even though he’ll never be in the stands cheering with me, I know there will always be a thing that brings us together.

The same goes for Shinny & Chad. He’s a doofus who’s still learning the ins and outs of hockey, but he’s trying his best. And even if he jinxed a shutout or two, the two of them can still have fun playing a round or two of Dance Dance Revolution.

After a year-and-a-half hiatus, Shinny is finally back! Peter and I (this is Rachel, hi!) are so excited to share the comic with you again.

Let’s– hypothetically– say you totally screwed up, felt awful about it, and wanted to make up for it in some way. Today we find Chad (Shinny’s boyfriend) in that exact situation. After totally ruining the Caps game for Shinny, Chad must figure out the best way to make up for his screw-ups.

The arcade! DDR! It’s not the hockey rink, but it might be just what they need right now. Find out next Tuesday, when we wrap this story arc up!!